Giving Back

Once a month, the Martha’s Place shelter gets a special treat: chef prepared meals cooked from scratch.  What’s even more special is that our chef was once a client at the shelter who now wants to give back to the people who helped her when she needed it most.

After owning a restaurant for eight years, Chef Pat found herself in competition with other restaurants a strip mall combined with mental illness struggles.  She needed to sell everything to pay off her debts and ended up with nothing, not even a place to live.  She lived on the streets of New Haven for 18 months before a Connecticut Mental Health Center caseworker referred her to Martha’s place. 

With support from case managers at the shelter and CMHC, Pat was able to find subsidized housing and receive disability benefits.  She found also found a creative outlet to help manager her depression: cooking for others at Martha’s Place.

“I really enjoy the opportunity to give back in any way I can and I also enjoy planning and cooking these meals,” she said.  She makes everything from scratch, including pizza, lasagna, pierogi and cabbage rolls.  Recently, Pat agreed to manage the food pantry at the shelter as well. 

“I look forward to spending time with the women at Martha’s Place, and I also benefit greatly from being surrounded by Martha’s Place staff, who are always extremely positive and supportive,” she said. “I don’t know where I would be right now if not for NHHR.”